"America's Got Talent" Honors Season 19 Contestant Emily Gold After Her Sudden Death at Age 17: 'A Bright Young Soul'
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09/17/2024 01:01 PM
After the Los Osos High School dancer died by suicide on Sept. 13, her dance team also wrote a touching tribute, praising Gold's "strength, commitment, kindness, compassion, and the most human heart"
GoFundMe
Emily GoldAmerica's Got Talent is remembering season 19 contestant Emily Gold after she died suddenly at age 17.
In a post on Facebook, the hit NBC competition show said: "The AGT Family sends out our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and team members of Emily Gold. She was a bright young soul and will be deeply missed."
Gold, a Los Osos High School dancer and contestant on America's Got Talent season 19, died by suicide on the evening of Sept. 13, the San Bernardino Coroner's Office confirmed to PEOPLE on Sept. 16.
The tragedy came just weeks after Gold and her high school dance team competed on the NBC talent show and received a standing ovation in the quarterfinals round, before getting eliminated in August.
A spokesperson from the San Bernardino Coroner's Office told PEOPLE that Gold was found dead by suicide at 11:52 pm on Sept. 13.
In a statement shared with PEOPLE, California Highway Patrol Public Information Officer Rodrigo Jimenez said that "officers from the California Highway Patrol Rancho Cucamonga area responded to a pedestrian down in lanes."
"When the officers arrived, they located a female, 17 year old, who was struck by at least one other vehicle in the carpool lane on eastbound 210," Jimenez said. "The female did succumb to her injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene."
In the wake of the tragedy, Gold's dance team issued a statement on Instagram on Sept. 16, remembering their "beautiful, kind and loving" friend and teammate.
"Emily has always embodied every aspect of our core team values through her strength, commitment, kindness, compassion, and the most human heart," they wrote in the post. "She will be remembered as a leader, role model, friend and sister to her teammates."
"Our sweet, sweet Emily - we love you endlessly and miss you more than words can ever express. Everything we do is for you, our beautiful angel," the team added, before writing in the caption, "We thank everyone for the love and support during this time of grief and just ask that you keep the Gold family in your thoughts and prayers. ✨"
Following her performance on AGT on Aug. 13, Gold told PEOPLE of her time onstage: "When I'm performing, I'm really thinking about all the corrections because we get corrections up until five minutes before we go on stage. So to really just think about all those so that we apply them is my biggest priority on stage."
Asked how she was juggling being in high school with performing on AGT, she said, "it's definitely tough to balance it all, but we make it happen."
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Gold's loved ones have since organized a GoFundMe page to raise money for the dancer's family.
"With great sadness we share our Los Osos Grizzly Emily Gold has passed away," the fundraiser read. "As a community lets come together and support the Gold family in this difficult time. Please know this money will go directly to the family to support them and help with expenses."
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.
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